It's already been made.
I thought I knew who Jase was, but I don’t know him at all.
“You call it a job. I call it betrayal,” I say. “Fuck you, Jase. You’re right about one thing. Wearedone. You just shit all over everything we shared. I hope you’re proud of yourself.”
I walk off with my head held high, praying I can make it out of this house before I fall to pieces. A whimper escapes my lips when the telltale click of the door shutting confirms he’s gone back to that woman—to resume fucking her. My lower lip wobbles as I fight to keep it together. I begin descending the stairs, slamming to a halt when I discover Julia standing on the steps just out of sight but close enough to have heard every word.
It all clicks into place. “You bitch. You did that on purpose.”
“You needed to know, and Jase was too much of a pussy to tell you. I did you a favor. You should be thanking me.” She smiles sweetly, and I growl.
“Get the hell out of my way, bitch.”
“Aw, boohoo. Has Ashley finally realized she can’t get everything she wants?” She jabs her finger in my chest. “I told you I would win. Jase ismine. I don’t care that he fucks other women. I understand, which is why we are so well matched. You’re too weak to handle this life. It’s what I have been telling him for weeks, and now he sees. With you out of the picture, he and I can finally get our relationship on track. I’ll be the one riding his cock tonight. Now run along and cry into your pillow.”
Her words are pointed, and they hit home, ramping my anger into murderous intent. I see red and react without thinking it through, pushing her hard and feeling nothing as she teeters on her heels, her eyes widening in shock as she loses her balance. I step to the side when she reaches for me, letting her tumble down the stairs, her loud screams drawing people from the main room.
I calmly walk down the stairs and hover over her as she lies simpering and crying at the bottom of the stairs, clutching her leg and screaming for help. “Enjoy my sloppy seconds. You two deserve one another. I wish you a lifetime of unhappiness chained to a man who will never be faithful and never give you his heart because he already gave it to me.” Avoiding eye contact with anyone, I exit the house and head for home.
ChapterForty-Five
Ashley
The door slams against the wall as I stumble into my bedroom on shaky legs. Reaching behind me, I shove it closed, instantly muting the sounds of the party raging downstairs in the lower level of the townhome I share with Chad and Ares. The place is packed with coeds, jocks, members of frats and sororities, and our personal friends from Lowell University. Along with the degenerates Ares is hanging out with tonight.
The room spins, and I sway a little as I hold on to the wall while removing my heels and kicking them away. I’m not feeling so hot as I flop down on my king-sized bed, staring up at the stark white ceiling, wondering why I thought it was a good idea to drink so much.
Usually, I am pretty smart when it comes to alcohol. Drinking enough to generate a nice buzz without losing control of myself.
Tonight is different.
Tonight, I am trying to forget my broken heart.
Seeing him walk through the door withherdraped all over him sent me over the edge. I knew I would never survive the party unless I blotted it all out and numbed myself to the harsh reality of my current existence.
Pain slices across my chest as intense as if someone has plunged a knife into my flesh.
A lone sob travels up my throat, surging for freedom, and it’s an anguished, strangled, desolate sound as it rips from my lips.
Fuck, it hurts.
It’s not getting any easier.
Turning on my side, I pull my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around myself as if that will keep me together.
Everything is turning to shit, and I seem powerless to stop it.
The more I learn about the secret world of The Luminaries, the more I lose control of my life. Sometimes, I wish I had a time machine so I could go back to senior year of high school and warn myself of the danger lying in wait for me when I started college.
To think my biggest worry coming here was extracting Chad from the deal he made with The Sainthood.
Gang warfare is a normal way of life in this part of California, but The Luminaries make The Sainthood and The Bulls look like kindergarteners.
What a fucking joke.
It’s not true what they say—ignoranceisn’tbliss.
Most everyone in my life was hiding huge secrets from me, and I was walking around, living a lie, like the biggest fool.
